From Years Of Extract Finally To Biab

[Shifter]

Today my new Crown urn, bag, ingredients and other stuff arrived from Ross - thanks mate.

This will be my first BIAB brew attempt, having used extract and steeped grains for many, many years, with I have to say, very good results. There is slight trepidation for this first brew, it's fair to say.
As soon as "her who must be obeyed" has made me an insulating blanket for my shiny new urn I will "have a go". She is on to it as I type. So maiden brew could be tomorrow.

Just one question, whilst heating the urn as a trial I noted that the temperature control is pretty hit or miss. With the urn set at 60 degC the actual water temp was about 65 Deg C when stirred up. Is there a better way of controlling the temperature? Or do you just stir up the water get the temp correct and put in the bag and grain? I have a couple of STC 1000's one of which I have set up to heat and cool. I guess there is a problem fitting a probe to the Urn due to the bag when full of grain? I might try and strap a STC 1000 to the outside of the urn and see what that gives me. The urn is pretty thin so the delta across the thin material should not be that great, especially when insulated. Seems to work with cooling in the fridge with a keg. Any ideas, hint or tips most welcome. Thanks.

 

[Spork]

I chuck the probe from the STC-1000 in so I can keep an eye on temps during the mash. Also to watch temps ramp up to mash in and again to boil. For strike temperature in I have a "proper" glass thermometer in the urn too, a clothes peg holds it in place.

Most turn the urn off while the bag is in, and just leave it for an hour, or make sure (cake rack) the bag doesn't touch the element. Some check temps 1/2 way through mash, raise bag a little and apply heat briefley before continuing the mash.
As for insulating the urn - I use a $2.00 car windscreen shade (the silver foil type one), a vest from the Salvo's, and old woolen jumper and an old blanket. Little heat loss over an hour even in cool Tassie weather.

For the boil only the sunshade remains, as the rest also cover the lid.

PS. Best tip I can give you is - get a skyhook! A puller, or 2, and somewhere to tie off to are invaluable.

Enjoy.

 

[Shifter]

Spork,

Thanks for your response. Is it OK to put the STC 1000 directly in the water? I have got a skyhook and a pulley system to lift the bag. Thought about using a cake rake or some such thing to keep the bag off the element.

Using an old doona as an insulator when it's finished.

Thanks for the tips.

 

[Spork]

I put the probe straight in. No problems with doing so as yet, however I have only done a few BIAB's so far. The unit is rated to 100c, so so I don't expect any problems.
It will alarm @100c, so take it out during the boil, but as I heat to the boil with lid on it's a good way to watch the progress.